As convenient and effective as commercial household cleaners and solutions are, the fact is that in the course of human history, they are relatively new. Clean is not a new concept. More basic products can and do get the job done — and less expensively. There are probably products in your own home right now that can be used to create cleaning products that will rival some of the best on the market — for pennies. Let’s explore what three common products — baking soda, vinegar and bleach — have the potential to do around your home:
Baking soda is a powerhouse for both odor removal and cleaning. Sprinkling it on carpets, in garbage receptacles and in litter boxes helps reduce offensive odors. You can clean your refrigerator with a mixture of baking soda and water. It can be added to your clothes washer with your detergent to freshen laundry.
It really can clean as well, on account of its disinfectant properties. A magic proportion of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water will create a paste that can be used to clean stains all around the house from hard floors to sneakers. It is mildly abrasive, which aids in removal of soil as well.
Vinegar is the king of shine. While all vinegars work equally well for cleaning purposes, it’s best stick with plain old, inexpensive white vinegar. Colored vinegars may stain some surfaces.
A solution of vinegar and water can remove mineral deposits from shower heads and coffee makers. It can also clean soap scum and ring-around-the drain.
Vinegar also removes stains from carpets and shines hardwood floors like almost nothing else. The odor may be pungent at first but it dissipates quickly.
Bleach is a well-known disinfectant and whitener. Some cautions are necessary for the use of bleach around the house but once you know how to properly use it, you’ll be able to have a more sanitary environment easily and inexpensively. Use caution not to splash it on skin, colored clothing or items that may be damaged. Full-strength bleach can cause chemical burns on skin, and completely obliterate colors on fabrics and surfaces. It should also NEVER be mixed with ammonia because the resulting compound creates extremely dangerous fumes.
When used in a diluted form, bleach can easily and reliably disinfect the kitchen, bathroom, toys, pet areas and other items around the house at a very low cost. It kills bacteria and viruses in addition to mold and mildew. At a very low concentration it can be sprayed directly on interior refrigerator surfaces, countertops and children’s furniture to kill germs without even needing to be wiped away.
Bleach can be used in the washing machine to whiten white clothing and kill bacteria that may be present in laundry.
Each of these products is probably already in your house. Because of the vast number of uses each has for cleaning, I suggest you research the appropriate amounts of product to use on your particular items. Using just these three common items, you’ll save money on keeping your home clean and shiny!
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Baking soda cleaned my stainless steel kitchen sink far better than Fantastik or Windex. (you should never use bleach on stainless steel. It will corrode the metal)
I also use baking soda and white vinegar for cleaning but I have not tried bleach. Home remedies are better than toxic products which are available in the market and house hold products do not contain any chemical.